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of Christ?" generally speaking, the great men of the world, and the wise, made so light of him as virtually to give him no place whatever. But with the lowly wise, the Stone which the builders rejected is the most precious stone of all their choicest treasure. Speaking of him, John Flavel once said: "Alas! I write his praises by moonlight; I cannot praise him so much as by halves. Indeed, no tongue but his own is sufficient to undertake the task. His excelling glory dazzles all apprehension and swallows up all expression."

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding....She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.-PROV. iii. 13, 15.

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Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her...A crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.-PROV. iv. 7-9.

From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. —— 2 TIM. iii. 15.

THE

July 23.

MARY'S LOVE TO HER LORD.

HE offering of affection presented by Mary would get no mention from an ordinary historian; for he would naturally regard it as a mere meaningless incident in the life of an obscure woman in an obscure village of Judea. The Lord's thoughts regarding it, however, were not as man's; and therefore this seemingly insignificant incident, just because of the rich grace and love it manifested, has found permanent place in the sacred page.

In Old Testament times many offerings were obli

gatory; but there was no legal injunction of any kind in the case of Mary. Her act was free and spontaneous, and prompted solely by love; and on this account it took every one by surprise, for none save herself thought beforehand of any such thing. What added to their surprise was the value of her offering: it was the very richest she could bring. Some, like the Israelites of old whom the prophet reproved, offer to the Lord only what is bruised, crushed, or broken-something so valueless that it would be mockery to speak of it as a token either of love or gratitude. But with Mary it was wholly otherwise she resolved to give, not something merely but her best-an alabaster box of ointment, very precious and her only regret was that she had not something more costly still to bestow upon Him whom her soul loved. Nay, more, as one has beautifully said: "All too slowly for her did the spikenard trickle through the narrow mouth; therefore she must break the glass. And as from the broken vessel the precious ointment flowed, filling the house with delicious odours; so her heart was broken, for it was not large enough to contain within itself the fulness of the Lord's love to her, and the sweet savour of her answering love that was gushing forth in return."

Some may be ready to say, with a sigh: "I have no such precious token to present. Anything I can bring is so poor and worthless that it would be almost presumptuous to offer it." But not so: what the Lord regards is not so much the gift itself, or its own inherent value, as the spirit, and specially the grateful adoring love, with which it is offered.

"O thou loving One," said John Bunyan, "O thou

blessed One, thou hast bought me; thou deservest to have me all. Thou hast paid for me ten thousand times more than I am worth."

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.-1 PETER i. 8. We love him, because he first loved us.-1 JOHN iv. 19.

July 24.

LABOURERS ARE NEEDED, AND HOW TO GET THEM.

AS

S God has never yet left himself without a witness, so he has never left his Church or people without pastors to cheer them in sorrow, and, through the Word and Spirit, to build them up in faith and holiness. Accordingly, with their varied gifts and graces, they are ever reckoned part of the prized possessions of the saints: “All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ's."

The ministry is sometimes spoken of as a mere human arrangement a thing to be continued or abolished at pleasure, and which depends for success solely on the talent and genius of the men who discharge its duties. In reality, however, it is a divinely appointed instrumentality, an ordinance of Christ. The vessels may be earthen, not golden, yet they are God's vessels notwithstanding; and he has been pleased, in the riches of his grace, to put the treasure therein for saving ends. This ministry is not a priesthood, and no priestly function is

ever ascribed to it. The ministers of Christ do not mediate between God and men; they are never said to offer sacrifices for sin; and they have no power as intercessors that does not belong to every believer. All believers are priests in the only sense in which men are priests under the gospel; that is, all have liberty of access to God through Jesus Christ.

A true, living gospel ministry of this nature is so needed in this dark world, that our Lord bids us pray for it: Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." Yet perhaps there is no duty in which Christians more sadly fail than in thus earnestly and continuously pleading for a Godgiven ministry; and very much just because they fail to realize the fact once expressed by John Newton, that only He who made the world can make a minister of Jesus Christ. Were there more of such wrestling prayer, how soon might we have our pulpits at home and our mission stations abroad filled with men of God, steadfast in the faith, and yearning for souls.

Some years ago, as a young missionary, after bidding farewell to all the loved ones of his family, was passing the threshold of his home, possibly never to recross it, his heart began to fail him, till, looking upward to the heavens, he remembered the words of Daniel, "They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever."

The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.-MATT. ix. 37, 38.

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified.-2 THESS. iii. 1.

Praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ.-COL. iv. 3.

July 25.

THE GOSPEL IN POWER.

TO multitudes the gospel comes in word only. It is a

mere unmeaning sound to them, that awakens no interest and makes no impression, but leaves the soul, as before, in all the darkness and misery of nature. Nay, even after hearing it for years together from many lips, its real character as a gospel of grace often remains wholly unknown to them, and they neither believe it nor receive it. Widely different was it with the Thessalonians in the days of Paul, for the gospel came to them not in word only, but in power. It not only reached the ear, but the understanding, and the conscience, and the heart, till their whole nature within and their whole life without became influenced by it. And all this, we are told, was associated in their minds with "much assurance." They did not half believe the gospel merely, as if a measure of doubt still rested on it, but with firmest conviction they heartily embraced it as the very truth of God.

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"A true and enlightened believer," says an old writer, 'doth as plainly judge of the Word of God, and try out the truth thereof, from the devices and doctrines of men, as a man of clear sight is able to judge of colours, and to know one colour from another: yea, and with more certainty, because colours fade and alter, and often one colour fadeth into another; but the truth of God doth never alter. It continueth one through all ages; it is the word of everlasting life. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but one tittle thereof shall not be lost."

It is even so. Nevertheless, the Word itself is not

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